access icon free Low electric field DNA separation and in-channel amperometric detection by microchip capillary electrophoresis

© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Received 11/07/2012, Accepted 15/03/2013, Revised 16/12/2012, Published 15/08/2013

Miniaturisation of microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE) is becoming an increasingly important research topic, particularly in areas related to micro total analysis systems or lab on a chip. One of the important features associated with the miniaturised MCE system is the portable power supply unit. In this work, a very low electric field MCE utilising an amperometric detection scheme was designed for use in DNA separation. The device was fabricated from a glass/polydimethylsiloxane hybrid engraved microchannel with platinum electrodes sputtered onto a glass substrate. Measurement was based on a three-electrode arrangement, and separation was achieved using a very low electric field of 12 V/cm and sample volume of 1.5 µl. The device was tested using two commercial DNA markers of different base pair sizes. The results are in agreement with conventional electrophoresis, but with improved resolution. The sensitivity consistently higher than 100 nA, and the separation time approximately 45 min, making this microchip an ideal tool for DNA analysis.

Inspec keywords: biological effects of fields; separation; platinum; electrochemical electrodes; glass; DNA; polymers; lab-on-a-chip; electrophoresis; molecular biophysics; sputtering; biological techniques; microsensors; microfabrication; bioelectric phenomena; amperometric sensors

Other keywords: microchannel; miniaturised MCE system; in-channel amperometric detection; platinum electrodes; lab-on-a-chip; DNA analysis; DNA markers; micrototal analysis systems; microchip capillary electrophoresis; glass substrate; glass-polydimethylsiloxane hybrid; Pt; low electric field DNA separation; three-electrode arrangement; sputtering; portable power supply unit

Subjects: Molecular biophysics; Biological engineering and techniques; Applied fluid mechanics; Biological effects of radiations; Electrochemical analytical methods; Biophysical instrumentation and techniques; Microsensors and nanosensors; Chemical sensors; Sensing and detecting devices; Chemical sensors; Electrochemistry and electrophoresis

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